


THE LION NECKLACE | SHORT STORY

by truesnxcc



Category: undefined - Fandom
Genre: Gay Character, Hatred, Implied/Referenced Suicide, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Other, Self-Hatred, Short Story, Trans Character, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:54:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27179540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/truesnxcc/pseuds/truesnxcc
Summary: I wrote this once again for an English project, hope you guys enjoy it, I'm thinking about further expanding this story in the future, although not too sure yet, let me know what you guys think!





	THE LION NECKLACE | SHORT STORY

Stereotypes are dangerous. Every one of us would know about that. Either we faced it ourselves, or we know somebody who has. Four friends, that’s what we are...What we were. My name is Jason Hawke, and I was in love with a boy who tragically took his life because of all of the stereotypes and hate he had faced. This is his story...This is our story. 

It all started on a chilly October afternoon, Wednesday to be exact. Dave and I had been sitting in the study hall, books placed openly in front of us. His messy dirty blonde cascaded downward over his glasses, he had to brush it away every so often. “So, if the x-value and the y-value are equal to each other, does that mean I’ve done the equation right?” His voice was always so soft-spoken and sweet, I loved listening to it. “I think so? I’m not exactly all too focused on math right now.” Jason explained to his high school friend. “Are you having trouble with math?” A hushed whisper spoke so carefully, trying not to be intrusive of the conversation the two had been having. “Uh, yeah…” Dave started to say while running the palm of his hand across the back of his neck nervously. “What’s your na-” Before Dave could even finish his question, the girl extended her hand outward in front of the dirty blonde haired boy. “Abigail, Abigail Ryan, I major in Computer Science and Mathematics, I can help you out!” 

She took a seat and slugged her cyan tinted schoolbag off of her shoulders, pulling a pencil out from behind her ear. “What are you having trouble with?” I could tell that Dave was super uncomfortable at this moment, he had always been sort of socially awkward, especially in front of new people. “He asked me if the x-value and the y-value are equal to each other, does that mean that the equation is done correctly,” I informed the curly-haired brunette who had sat herself down across from us despite this being our first meeting. “Here, give me your notebook and I’ll write out step by step how to solve an equation like this! It’s quite simple.” She flashed a comforting smile in Dave’s direction and I could see him easily calm down.  
As Dave and Abigail had been working that out, a girl with blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and hoop earrings walked over and nearly threw herself into the chair beside Abigail. “Abby, I legit could not find you anywhere, I’ve been looking for you all day, Dad wanted to know if you were still coming over tonight?” She hummed contently while looking over in my direction. “Oh hi! You’re Jason, aren’t you? You sit behind me in class!” Her voice was so bubbly and expressive, although she seemed to be very friendly. “Yup, that would be me, Isn’t your name…” She cut him off with a cheery voice and a bright smile. “Valerie!” She bounced slightly in her seat as she had spoken. “Valerie Smith.” 

“Nice to meet you Valerie, Of course, you know me, I’m Jason, and you’re clearly acquainted with Abigail…” He looked over to Dave and Abigail who had been speaking about the math equation from earlier. “This is Dave, he and I are friends,” I spoke softly as we were still in the study hall. “Hi Dave, It’s very nice to meet you!” At this point, we had all just met each other, however, we started talking as though we’ve been friends since the second grade. “He is the worst! But that’s not even anything compared to my other three brothers!” Abigail said with a laugh as she had been showing the other three a photo of one of her brothers. “You have four brothers? That’s crazy!” I laughed along with her. I never knew what it was like to have siblings, though growing up I remember writing a letter to Santa asking for a little brother. 

We barely made it through the hour of study hall before we had all got kicked out for being obnoxiously loud. We had been laughing, smiling, telling personal stories about ourselves and our families. Nothing major had been said however, we had just met after all. After getting kicked out of the study hall, we found ourselves heading our separate ways. Dave and I had headed back to our dorm as we had no other classes for that day, and we had been up talking in the late hours of the night about various things, completely forgetting about our assessments the following day. 

We didn’t necessarily do badly on them that day, but we all could have done much better if we didn’t all have some sort of reunion as if we haven’t seen each other in so long. School had been going okay, we all had a similar class together, there was a big project upcoming and we were all in a group. We often hung out after classes to discuss the project and what we would do, however, not much got done on those days, it mostly was just us goofing around.

I still remember that one night sitting in our dorm room. Dave had been crying his eyes out, hands placed over his face. His glasses had been pressed up against his face because he hadn’t even bothered to take them off. I walked into the dorm after class, having had classes later than him that day. When I opened the door my eardrums were filled with his pained wails and sobs. “Dave? What’s the matter?” I asked as I quickly slugged my schoolbag off and strode over to him in a rather quick manner. He didn’t speak much that night, but when he did I knew he was heartbroken. People had been getting to him lately, they poked fun at him, and they all assumed things about him. They assumed things about his gender identity, and that hurt him most. 

Someone told him he would never really be a man, and wasting countless amounts of money on surgeries wouldn’t prove anything. They continued to tell him how transsexual people were supposed to look, how they were supposed to sound, how they were supposed to do everything in their lifetime. I always thought that Dave was more man than most people around, even including me. I tried my best to comfort Dave that night, but it didn’t deem so successful. That night was the last night I ever got to talk to Dave, and if I would have been aware of that fact, I would have tried even harder.  
I remember waking up that next morning, we both had been tired and wanted to go to bed. Dave wasn’t anywhere to be found. I assumed that he probably had gotten up early to go to his classes, but even then it was only a little after 7. I remember the commotion in my classes that morning, everyone was talking amongst themselves as the professor tried so desperately to settle everyone down.  
“Before we start class today, there’s something I need to inform you all about, and I expect you all to be quiet and respectful…” Those words often repeat in my head, they still make me choke on bile in the back of my throat the odd time. “One of our tenants here unfortunately passed last night,” I remember the sheer panic that grabbed me so suddenly, my mind running around in circles, who was it?  
Hearing his name as followed by the horrid news made me sick. Dave was gone, and he was never coming back. I felt so many emotions that day, I felt sick to my stomach, I felt angry, I felt distraught. I remember snapping at people all day who had spoken terrible things about Dave. They all spewed harmful stereotypes out of their mouths, they spread rumours on his death, they spread misinformed facts about his home life, anything they could. I was exasperated. 

This was harmful, what they did. Spreading all these things around in the air is what caused Dave to do what he did in the first place. I remember the three of us getting together, but only briefly. The only thing I could recollect of that was them all comforting me, lots of crying, and mournful attitudes. Nobody else knew about how I felt about Dave, I loved him more than I loved myself at times. His funeral was small, it consisted of his family and the three of us. The service was respectful and sweet, but it was still hard to process that Dave was gone.  
Midterms came faster than I ever expected them to that year, I had failed most of them because I could hardly focus on anything. We stuck together, the three of us, and that brought us to that one night. The one night where we all told each other something about ourselves that often people followed with stereotypes. We often discussed and educated each other on things so stereotypes wouldn’t be as dangerous. We couldn’t lose another friend, and we sure as hell didn’t want to believe other stereotypes.  
“I’ll start,” Valerie said as she held tightly onto her cup of hot chocolate. It was quite chilly tonight, and we had all decided to make a run to get a hot drink first. “I have a brother who has cerebral palsy, not a lot of people know this because when I tell them they ask me so many questions.” She explained. “They think he can’t do anything at all, but in reality, he is very good at painting and enjoys it very much. Some people even feel bad for me because I have to watch him when mom is working long night shifts, but if I’m honest, I enjoy spending time with him. I would rather know he is in good hands with me than with someone he is uncomfortable with.” 

Abigail was next, she offered to go after Valerie, though she said if I wanted to go before her then that was more than okay. I told her it was fine and motioned her to continue with what she had to say. What we had been doing felt all so powerful to the entire group. We were telling people we trusted about things we didn’t often tell others. “I’ve faced a lot of racism ever since I was a young child, even my parents did. People would tell me to go back to where I came from…” She took a brief moment to pause before continuing to speak. “People were always weirded out because I didn’t look like them. My father had been sent to jail for something he never did, but people often fail to listen to other people’s sides of the story, he had no way to defend himself. People profiled him, and he was punished for it.”  
We all thought Abigail was strong with everything she had shared that night, I may not remember all of it clearly, but I’m proud of her, proud of Valerie, and proud of myself. I was the only one left to go, and what I had told the group was tough to talk about, especially having to bring up Dave’s name, I was still haunted by everything that had happened, everything I had seen. “I haven’t faced any stereotypes, but I know that people that are just like me face them all the time and it’s not fair…” I had continued to tell them about my crush on Dave, and how I liked anybody no matter what. 

The acceptance I was given that night and had given back always makes me feel good despite what had happened leading up to it. Sometimes we have to just talk to our friends about things that have happened to us. Talking about these things helps to educate people on how yes, there are harmful and dangerous stereotypes, no matter what context is given to them. Joke or not. It’s still considered harmful.  
Now, I’m walking through the graveyard, flowers in my hand, and a small box. I walked with my head up, scanning the different gravestones, making sure to be nothing shy of respectful. Reaching his grave, I sat down slowly and softly in the grass. “It’s been a few years now, but I still come every day. I know you are in a happier place with your dog Charlie, and your Grandfather Peter, I know how much they meant to you.” I felt a few tears stray away from my eyes and down my cheek. “I brought you some flowers, marigolds, your favorite. And something I’ve wanted to give you for the longest time back in high school.”

  
I set the box down carefully with the flowers beside his gravestone. “A necklace with a lion. Signifying how strong and powerful you were.” I rubbed my thumb along my cheek to wipe away the tears. “I love you Dave Marlando, I always have, and I always will.” So that’s his story...Our story. I think about Dave every single night and there isn’t a moment when I don’t. I try not to think about the bad things though, I think about all the good times we had together. May you rest in peace Dave, I miss you and so do many others. You’re a lion amongst everyone else. Fierce, Strong, and Powerful.


End file.
